Philippines: Militants control 20 percent of Marawi city

Philippine military forces are patrolling Marawi city (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – A top military general of the Philippines said on June 13 that Islamic
militants are controlling 20 percent of the southern city of Marawi in Mindanao
island.

Lieutenant
General Carlito Galvez, head of military command in Western Mindanao, told
reporters that out of 96 areas, the Islamic militants are holding portions in
Marinaut, Lulut, Mapandi and Bongolo commercial district, which only comprise
20 percent of the whole Marawi city and it is getting smaller every day.

Earlier, the
self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS)'s news agency, Amaq, said IS fighters are
spread in more than two-thirds of Marawi and tighten the chokehold on the
Philippine army that is incapable of maintaining control of the situation. But
military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla branded the Amaq report
"pure propaganda".

Almost the
entire population of Marawi of about 200,000 people fled after the militants
attacked the city. However, the Philippine military believed that there are
500-600 people trapped or being held hostage.

According to
military spokesman Padilla, by June 13, about 58 security officers and 26
civilians were killed during the clashes in Marawi.

The fighting between
the Philippine military and the Islamic militants broke out on May 23.
President Rodrigo Duterte then announced martial law on Mindanao island to stop
the escalating threat from IS there. The US special force recently provided
technical support to the Southeast Asian country’s army in the fights in Marawi
to free the city.-VNA